Trade knows no alignment, so tolerance is a virtue in Baldur’s Gate, but not to the extent that visitors are allowed to conduct themselves in ways injurious to other persons or property. Guards in distinctive black helms with red stripes on either side police the city. They pay more attention to the upper half of the city, the part within the original walls, than to the newer, lower half by the river, enclosed by lower walls. This wealthy port metropolis is an important merchant city on the Sword Coast. Its strong watch and the presence of the powerful Flaming Fists mercenary company kept the city generally peaceful and safe.

Most major cities have a few major temples, but Baldur’s Gate’s three major halls of worship are noteworthy. Gond’s High House of Wonders houses an astonishing collection of one-of-a-kind inventions. Gnomes, inventors, and craftsfolk make the pilgrimage to Baldur’s Gate for both inspiration and devotion. Tymora’s temple, the Lady’s Hall, is remarkable for its size and wealth. The temple to Umberlee, euphemistically known as the “Water Queen’s House,” is one of the few actual temples to this deity in all of Faerun.